Why We Sing Old Hymns

It’s been a little surreal moving from being called a Czar to being called a President. All while still being called a Young Adult. I remember telling my mom that I was to be the next Chancel President, and her response was pretty classic: “Oh, who voted for you?” And I had to tell her, “No, mom, it’s not that kind of president.” But I’m quite happy to serve, because I love singing in this choir.

Tonight, as we approach Hymns Triumphant, I thought I’d look into the topic of WHY it is important to sing old hymns as well as contemporary songs. And while the internet has WAY TOO MANY heated opinions on this topic, I particularly liked one commenter who pointed out C.S. Lewis, writing about why it is important to read old and new books on theology – it’s a different topic, but I think there’s some parallels we can draw.

Here’s Lewis: “Naturally, since I myself am a writer, I do not wish the ordinary reader to read NO modern books. But if he MUST read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old.


"And I would give him this advice precisely because he is an amateur, and therefore less protected against the dangers of an exclusively contemporary diet. For if you join at eleven o’clock a conversation which began at eight you will often not see the real bearing of what is said. The only safety is to have a time-tested standard of central Christianity which puts the controversies of the moment in their proper perspective. Every age has its own outlook. It is especially good at seeing certain truths and especially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period, and reveal to us the truths that we are not inclined to see. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, not to allow yourself another new one until you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read 1 old one to every 3 new ones.”

So if you apply this thinking to church music, Trinity does seem to be holding well to the “C.S. Lewis ratio” of old mixed with new, and I think that’s great – we can participate in the worship conversation in its early moments AND join in with it today, and each can give meaning to the other. The God of the Past IS the God of Today, and singing the truths that were vital to Christians of the past both anchors and encourages us as believers today.

Let’s bow our heads. Dear Father, Thank you for the Old Books and the Old Hymns that still instruct and inspire us today, and the valuable perspective they give us. Be with us tonight as we practice, and inscribe the words of old on our hearts as we sing. In your Holy name, Amen.


(Sources: http://micahcobb.com/blog/should-churches-sing-the-old-hymns/

http://julianfreeman.ca/worship/singing-hymns-singing-contemporary-worship-music


Both of these pointed to the same passage of C.S. Lewis, when he wrote the introduction to Athanasius' On The Incarnation. The entirety of Lewis' introduction can be found here: http://silouanthompson.net/library/early-church/on-the-incarnation/introduction/)